Social phobia is a lot more than shyness. When you have social phobia you will panic just thinking about meeting or mingling with other people. People with social phobia don’t get to enjoy otherwise fun social experiences because along with the phobia comes crippling self-consciousness and nervousness. Overcoming your social anxiety will open the doors to new friendships, opportunities and more fun.
Prepare yourself with relaxation
Intense worry about social situations repeatedly links anxiety to the events. You’ve programmed yourself to feel anxious about social situations, but it can be changed. Every time you have a social situation coming up, relax and visualize being calm and confident. Do this every time to create a better automatic association.
Stop isolating the problem
If social anxiety is taking over your life, consult with a psychiatrist or primary care physician. They may prescribe a treatment for you. If you don’t want medication; there are many therapies out there that can be just as effective. Talking about your problem is the first step to feeling better.
No one is perfect
Are you worried people will notice your flaws? This is a common reason behind social anxiety, but when it all comes down to it, they may not notice as much as you think. People will always be more focused on themselves and their own flaws, so there really is nothing to worry about. The only one who is focused on your imperfections is you.
Focus on the other people
Pay close attention to the people around you to avoid drawing inwards. Genuinely listen and engage with conversations and focus on the present moment. When you concentrate on being genuine and attentive, it brings focus away from the pressure to be perfect.
Just face your fears
Simply facing social situations instead of avoiding them is one of the most helpful things you can do when you have social anxiety. Avoidance will just keep your social anxiety going. It’s okay to have these feelings, but bottling issues up and refusing to address them just makes it harder to move past the anxiety. Learn to tolerate and address your feelings in order to move past them, because avoidance will always cause more problems.